Dump car door lock



P 1949- J. R. SHEESLEY 2,482,516

DUMP CAR DOOR LOCK Filed 001:. 16, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VEN TOR.

Jay J2. S/zewZqg Sept. 20, 1949.

J. R. SHEESLEY DUMP CAR DOOR LOCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Jqy E fl/zwz Filed Oct. 16, 1946 p 1949- J. R. SHEE SLEY 2,482,516

DUMP CAR DOOR LOCK Filed Oct. 16, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Se t. 20, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Kill: 1 13.121. Application October 1:,c1l.9::,5:':asl)No. 703,514

Claims. 1

My invention relates to a single acting lock for the drop bottom door of a railway dump car and has for its object the provision of a simple and easily operated structure capable of effecting a positive and complete closure of the door and controllable from the side of the car. The invention also contemplates a structure which permits the realeased downwardly hanging door to be swung toward closed position where the locking mechanism will automatically effect holding engagement with the door; all of the operations locking mechanism shown and described in my 1 application Serial Number 632,456, now abandoned, and its object and advantages will be readily comprehended from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a sectional view of a portion of a hopper of a railway dump car and the hopper door with my improved door locking mechanism in sectional elevation.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the lower end of the hopper and door with the locking mechanism in elevation and door released position with the door pa tly open.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the lower portion of the hopper with the hopper door omitted.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 as indicated by the arrows.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the looking pawl or latch member supporting end of the control shaft.

Figure 6 is a detail view of the outer end of the control shaft, its operating handle and shaft locking mechanism in elevation and a portion of a hopper wall in section, with portions of the hopper frame shown in dotted lines.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the movable latch member in inverted position.

Figure 8 is a sectional view on a larger scale of the lower portion of the dump car hopper and lower end of the door in open position with my improved door locking mechanism in door releasing position.

Figure 9 is a similar view showing the hopper door completely closed, with the locking mechanism in door locking position.

Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the eccentric and lug portion of the operating shaft and of the latch member positioned to receive the adjacent eccentirc end of the shaft.

My present invention is especially adapted to the single operation of the respective downwardly swing doors of the different hoppers arranged on opposite sides of the car center sill, but of similar construction, with similar control and locking mechanisms controllable at the car sides.

In the exemplification of the invention the latch member or looking pawl and the control shaft are mounted on the lower side of the hopper slope sheet, of which a portion is shown at IO, where it will not interfere with the free flow or dumping of the hopper contents and does not apply added weight to the door of which a portion is shown at l I. The door is pivotally mounted at its upper end in the usual manner to swing downwardly into open position as soon as the latch mechanism is released, see. Figure 2.

The door preferably is formed or flanged at its perimeter to overlap the edges of the slope sheet to provide a non-leak relation and adjacent ltl lower end preferably reinforced by the angle member l2, which also provides means for rigidly securing latch or keeper member l3 in place.

The lower end H of latch member l3 extends forwardly into a socket formed into the door or through a cut-out portion or slot, as shown, in the lower end of the door I I; and this forwardly presented end on its lower side is provided with a transverse rib IS with which a locking pawl or latch member I6 is adapted to effect latching engagement.

The latch member l3 preferably is arranged intermediate the side edges of the door and its forward end formed with a sloping or slightly arcuate surface adapted to ride over and force the latching end of the locking pawl or latch member I! downwardly when the door is swung to closed position.

The lower end of the slope sheet I ll preferably is reenforced with a transversely extending angle I! which also aifords attaching surface for the elongated transversely extending bearing providing bracket plate 'or strip I8, provided at its inner end with longitudinally spaced ribs or flanges I9, 20 and adjacent its outer end with an apertured flange or rib -2l; the outer end of the bracket plate or strip being shown sloping or bent upwardly in keeping with the edge of the side wall of the hopper.

The flanges or ribs are apertured to receive and provide bearings for the ends of the latch operating shaft 22. By providing a single bearing plate or strip it is apparent that a proper and positive alignment of the bearing flanges or ribs is ensured andthe operation of properly attaching more readily accomplished and alignment maintained.

sized bar or lever employed by the operator in door operations.

' Secured to or formed integral with the bracket plate and disposed above the shaft bearing is a bracket portion 24 on which a segmental locking cam 25 is eccentrically pivoted to effect wedging engagement with the side of the handle portion 23 when shaft 22 and the handle portion 23 have been rotated into door latching position, see Figure 6. The cam 25 preferably is counterweighted as shown to maintain its shaft locking position; and as the cam rotates in a direction transversely of the'car its shaft locking position will not be disturbed by the jars and vibrations encountered by the car during transit, as such vibrations are principally transmitted longitudinally of the car.

The shaft 22, adjacent its inner end, is formed or provided with an eccentric portion 26 and with a segmental lug 21 of preselected dimensions and in prearranged relation to the eccentric portion 26; the ends of the lug 21 preferably having fiat surfaces as more clearly shown in Figure 5. The lug 21 extends radially adjacent the end of the eccentric portion 26, substantially in line with the major axis of the eccentric portion 26.

The inner end of shaft 22 is shown Of normal diameter and has bearing in the flange 20 and may be held against withdrawal by a suitable cotter-pin as at 26, in Figure 4.

The shaft 22 at one end of the eccentric portion and adjacent the lug 21 is provided with an annular flange or collar portion 29 to afford a proper bearing for the shaft in the enlarged opening in flange I9; the enlarged opening being provided to permit passage of the eccentric portion 26 and lug 21 therethrough. The eccentric portion 26, segmental lug 21 and collar 29 may all be made integral with the shaft 22. Freely mounted on the eccentric portion 26 is the locking pawl or latch member I 6 whose forward or rearward movement relative to the latch member I3 secured to the swinging end of the door II is controlled by the eccentric portion 26 during rotation of the shaft 22; that is to say, the locking pawl l6 during this rotative cycle of the eccentric portion 26, due to it's counterweighted end I6 does not rotate but shifts-in the direction of the eccentric portion relative to the discharge end of the slope sheet Ill, namely toward or away from said discharge end.

The hub portion ofthe latch pawl l6 has a segmental extension l6 disposed in the path of the lug 21, with the relation between the lug 21 and the ends of the segmental hub extension I6 such that contact between the lug 21 and extension Hi is not effected until the eccentric portion 26 of the shaft has substantially completed its shifting action of the latch pawl l6.

Assuming that the drop door H is in closed position with pawl l6 in looking engagement with the rib l of latch member l3, the forward shifting action of eccentric 26 will move pawl i 6 forwardly without moving the hook end of the pawl l6 out of engagement with the keeper member 13 on the door but permit the door to partly open. The continued rotation of the shaft in clockwise or same direction, for example approximately one hundred and thirty degrees, will bring one end of the segmental lug 21 into contact with the segmental portion l6 of the pawl l6 and cause the pawl to rotate with operating shaft 22 and to disengage the latch member I! of the door H and allow the door to swing into open position.

When the operator releases his operating bar or lever inserted in the socketed laterally offset handle portion 2!, namely after the door has been opened, the latch member l6, due to the counterweight l6'-, and contact between the opposite end of segment l'6 and lug 21, will rotate the shaft 22 in a counterclockwise direction thus bringing the latch member l6 in locking pivotable position and allowing it to automatically swing into latching position and engage the latch member I: at the bottom of the door, when the latter is swung towards the closed position. The latching pawl l6 will enga e latch member 13 and hold the door within seapproximately a half inch or so Of full closed position. Continued counterclockwise rotation of the operating shaft by the operator causes the opposite end of the segmental lug 21 to engage the opposite end of the segmental extension at the side of the pawl I6 and induces rotation of the latch pawl I 6 into door full-closing position, which position will be maintained by the counterweighted locking cam 25.

In order that the latch member I 6 may be used either on the right or on the left side of the car, I show both sides of the latch member provided with similar segmental extensions IS; a similar operating shaft 22 being employed with an eccentric portion 26 and a lug 21, with the lug circumferentially spaced a predetermined distance from the major axis of the eccentric portion 26 so that the latch member shifting action is momentarily performed in advance of the latch member rotation induced by lug 21.

The eccentric portion 26 and the segmental lug 21 preferably are made integral with the operating shaft; the latch pawl being provided with a circular opening of diameter sumciently large to permit it to freely swivel on said eccentric portion and for simplicity in manufacture preferably has its extended hub portion segmentally cut away to receive the segmental lug; structural modifications, however, being possible without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A hopper car door lock for a door whose lower free end swings horizontally comprising a rotatably mounted shaft disposed transversely of the car on the lower face of the hopper slope sheet, the inner end of said shaft having an eccentric portion and a radially disposed segmental lug; a keeper member secured to the lower side of the door; and a counterweighted hook member loosely mounted on the eccentric portion of the shaft and provided with a segmental lateral extension disposed part way about the shaft in the path of said lug, said hook member and keeper member being adapted to automatically effect door holding position when the door is swung toward closing position, said eccentric portion upon rotation of the shaft being adapted to move the hook member horizontally while further shaft ro tation causes said lui to engage an end of the segmental extension of the hook member thereby moving the hook end vertically and locking the door in closed position.

2. A hopper car door lock fora door whose lower free end swings horizontally comprising a rotatablp'mounted shaft disposed transversely of the car on the lower face of the hopper slope sheet, the inner end of said shaft terminating adjacent the vertical median line of the hopper and its door and having a cylindrical eccentric portion and a radially disposed lug substantially in line with the major axis of the eccentric portion; a keeper member secured to the lower side of the door; and a counterweighted hook member loose- 1y mounted on the eccentric portion of the shaft and provided with a segmental lateral extension disposed part way about the shaft in the path of said lug, said hook member and keeper member being adapted to automatically effect door holding position when the door is swung toward closing position, the interengaging relation between the keeper member and hook member being adapted to withstand the outward pressure of the door, said eccentric portion upon rotation of the shaft being adapted to move the hook member horizontally while further shaft rotation causes said lug to engage an end of the segmental extension of the hook member and thereby move the hook end of the latter vertically substantially into dead center position with the eccentric portion of the shaft and thereby lock the door in closed position.

3. A hopper car door lock comprising an operating shaft disposed transversely of the car and rotatably mounted on the bottom of the hopper, the inner end of said shaft being provided with a cylindrical eccentric portion on the shaft and with a radially disposed lug arranged in predetermined circumferential spaced relation with the major axis of said eccentric portion; a stationary latch member secured on the bottom of the door intermediate its sides; a counterweighted latch pawl having a hook end and swiveled on the eccentric portion of said shaft and adapted to normally swing into latching position, said pawl being provided with a hub adapted to receive the eccentric portion of the shaft and having a laterally disposed segmental extension arranged in the path of said lug, said eccentric portion upon rotation of the shaft causing the latch pawl to move horizontally while said lug upon further rotation of the shaft causes the hook end of said pawl to swing vertically into door locking position and to move the hook end of the pawl out of engagement with said stationary latch member upon rotation of the shaft for door releasing,

4. A hopper car door lock comprising a shaft disposed transversely of the car and provided at its inner end with a cylindrical eccentric portion and with a radial lug arranged in predetermined circumferential spaced relation with the major axis of said eccentric portion; a. single piece bearing member disposed transversely of and secured to the bottom of the hopper and provided with shaft bearing portions at opposite ends for rotatably securing the inner and outer ends of the shaft and maintaining alignment; a

A keeper member rigidly secured to the bottom of 2 Number the door adjacent its median line; a counterweighted latch member mounted intermediate its ends on the eccentric portion of said shaft and adapted to normally swing upwardly into keeper engaging position, the hub portion of said latch member at its end being provided with a laterally disposed segmental extension disposed in the path of said radial lug, the latch member being shifted forward and/or rearward by said eccentric portion and the door drawn to closed position during partial rotation of said shaft and the latch member, upon further shaft rotation, swung vertically by engagement of said lug with said segmental extension and the door locked in closed position, while reverse partial rotation of the shaft will shift said latch member forwardly, permitting partial opening of the door and further rotation of said shaft will cause said latch member to be swung downwardly out of keeper engagement; and a vertically swinging cam secured to the outer end of said bearing member so as to move in a direction transversely of the car and eifect holding engagement with said shaft.

5. In a dump car provided with a hinged door whose lower end swings horizontally, door locking mechanism comprising a horizontally disposed rotatable shaft provided with an eccentric portion and a radially disposed lug arranged substantially parallel with the major axis of the eccentric portion; and a hook-ended counterweighted locking pawl loosely mounted on said eccentric portion and having segmentally arranged shoulders disposed in the path of said lug, whereby the major axis of the eccentric portion will be disposed substantially in dead center relation with the direction of the load force on the hook end of said pawl when the door is in closed position.

- JAY R. SHEESLEY.

' file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Re. 15,831 Wine May 6, 1924 1,105,948 Wright Aug. 4, 1914 1,109,607 Aimquist Sept. 1, 1914 1,236,527 Zimmer Aug. 14, 1917 1,469,352 Anderson Oct. 2, 1923 1,584,841 Campbell et al. May 18, 1926 1,627,801 Mitchell May 10, 1927 1,633,762 Campbell et al. June 28, 1927 1,669,133 Kadel May 8, 1928 

